Can you love somebody elses child in the same way that you love your own?

1. 60

   gabrielthomas72posted 12 years ago

   Can you love somebody elses child in the same way that you love your own?
   
   As more and more relationships breakdown and people begin new ones with new partners. Invariably there will be children involved. How difficult is it to love the children of a new partner in the same way you love your own? Can you?
   
   

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2. 59

   lovelife08posted 12 years ago

   Probably not in the same way, no. They aren't my child so I don't have that special mother/child "connection" with them, if that makes sense.
   
   That being said, if I were to ADOPT a child...then yes, I would love them as if I had bore them.

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3. 76

   flacoinohioposted 12 years ago

   Yes!!!  Loved the children of the women I dated for long periods of time.  Sometimes I think the reason to date a person with children was to be a father of sorts without having to have a child of my own.  Some relationships were longer than they should have been because of a child, I would feel guilty about leaving a woman because I felt the child(ren) would go without if I were not there.

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4. 60

   Sami thesharkposted 11 years ago

   I don't think that you would love your new partners children like your own. I do believe you could love them and treat them like your own but I think the bond would be very different. The bond between parent and child is one of the purest loves that you can have. You get out what you put in. I think it would also depend on the age of the children and how the new partner parents. It's a tough question but I personally believe that you can love any child if you choose too. It also comes down to if the child can accept you in their life and if they choose to love you. The old saying of 'anyone can father a child but it takes a real man to be dad' is true, that is from a mothers point of view. I also think you should really think about dating someone with children before doing so as parent and child comes as a package. Good question )

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